Each year I hold a blog fund-raiser, which plays a vital role in supporting the work I do here. It's been held in January, but numerous readers over the years have requested it be moved to December to enable them to participate, and I'm deferring to those requests by holding it a few weeks earlier this year. Reader support in all its forms really is central to the work I do here, and it's very appreciated, gratifying, and helpful.
The most vital attribute of my work, by far, is full-scale independence -- the ability to write on any topics of importance free of concerns about offending potential future media employers or fear of other forms of careerist implications -- and it's reader support that makes that possible. This model ensures that I have only one constituency that matters -- my readers -- and that, in turn, means I need only be concerned with producing work that is as informative, as consequential and, most of all, as honest as possible. Salon has always been faithful to its word in honoring my unfettered editorial independence while hosting my blog, which is one reason it's been a great platform for my work, but it is reader support that permits me to spend the vast bulk of my time writing here every day and doing the work I think will do the most good without any fears or constraints.
There is widespread and always-growing concern about the inability of journalistic endeavors to find a sustainable financial model, particularly with the advent of the Internet. But I think the Internet has highlighted one of the best ways to enable independent journalism: through reader support. This is not a brand new approach (I.F. Stone was able to write his weekly, independent newsletter for years based solely on that model), nor is it one confined to smaller outlets (The New York Times' easily-circumvented online subscription fee is, in effect, a form of reader donation). But for me, this is the model that permits me to engage in the optimal form of independent journalism, have assistance with research, and generally maintain my full independence.
Those wishing to participate can do so via Paypal by clicking the button below, via Google Checkout here, or if necessary, via check sent through the mail (you can email me at GGreenwald@salon.com for the necessary information, which is different than it was last year). Those wishing to support Salon generally can purchase a Core Membership and receive numerous benefits, here. As always, I genuinely appreciate all forms of reader involvement here; the communal nature of Internet writing is one of its most valuable characteristics, and an active, vibrant, supportive readership has been crucial to my work in so many ways.
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